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May 30, 2018

India's purchase of Russian S-400 to curb military cooperation: US

The US has serious concerns about India’s plans to buy the S-400 air
defence system from Russia as it will inhibit ability of militaries from
the two nations to operate together, chairman of the powerful US House
Armed Services Committee has said. Concerns about India’s potential
purchase of the S-400 have been conveyed to different levels of the
government and the Russian system would also make it difficult for the
US to share sensitive technology in the future, committee members who
are in India said. “There is a lot of concern in the US administration
and Congress with the S-400.

There is concern that any country
that acquires the system will complicate the ability of interoperability
(with US forces),” House Armed Services Committee chairman Mac
Thornberry said in response to a question by ET.

Making it clear
that the question of the S-400 purchase was beyond sanctions planned
against Russia, Thornberry said that he hoped India will ‘take it’s
time’ and carefully consider acquiring the system. India is on the path
to acquire the air defence system from Russia for an estimated Rs 39,000
crore, with the deal to be signed by October.

US committee
members linked the transfer of high-end technology for the Indian
fighter aircraft production plan to the S-400 too.

“India wants
to have more technology sharing and production like the F-16. The issue
there is when you talk of technology and then there is the S-400...we do
have some concerns that we have brought up to different levels of your
government,” Democrat Congressman Harry Ceuller who represents Texas
said.

Thornberry who heads the committee that oversees the
Pentagon, all military services and all Department of Defense agencies
including their budgets and policies also raised concerns about China’s
‘newly aggressive posture’ that has been creating new military bases in
the Indian Ocean region and South China Sea.

“There is concern
about China using debt to acquire bases and other sorts of things and
then turn around to militarise them. That shows a newly-aggressive
posture by China and that is an issue of concern,” he said.